Four years after much of Japan’s northeastern coast was devastated by a tsunami, a chain of cement sea walls stretching nearly 400km is under construction. Some of the walls will be five storeys high in places.

South China Morning Post photographer Robert Ng visited the region, which is still littered with twisted debris, to record the progress of the HK$53 billion scheme to protect the coastline from future disasters. 

The tsunami, triggered by an earthquake, destroyed the Fukushima nuclear plant. Opponents say the scheme will damage the ecology and scenery, hinder fisheries and do little to protect residents who are mostly expected to relocate to higher ground.